Students can register to vote Tuesday at courthouse

Ashanti Thomas

Signs are displayed in the Bridge Lounge of Martin Luther King Jr. University Union where people can vote in the upcoming elections on Wednesday afternoon.

Madelyn Kidd, News Editor
November 7, 2022

Tuesday marks the general election of 2022 where multiple elections are on the ballot.

In Coles County, the voting polls open at 6 a.m. and stay open until 7 p.m. in various locations.

In Charleston, there are seven polling places across town.

  • CUSD #1 School Administration Office at 410 West Polk Ave.
  • St. Charles Catholic Church at 921 Madison Ave.
  • Masonic Temple at 651 West Lincoln Ave.
  • First Baptist Church at 2800 University Dr.
  • The Bridge Lounge in the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union at Eastern
  • Newman Catholic Center at 500 Roosevelt Ave.
  • Coles County Courthouse at 651 Jackson Ave.

Eastern students can vote on the Coles County ballot if they are residents within the county for a majority of the year.

For students already registered to vote in Coles County, the Coles County Clerk mailed a postcard one to two weeks after you registered to vote. 

This postcard identifies your polling place depending on your address. When possible voters should vote at the polling place listed on the postcard.

For voters already registered to vote in Coles County, but are unaware of your voting location and do not have the postcard sent by the Coles County Clerk there are two options for Tuesday.

Voters can call the Coles County Clerk’s office to ask for your designated polling location at (217)348-0501, or voters can vote at the Coles County Courthouse.

Voters who know where their designated polling location is but are unable to vote there can vote at the Coles County Courthouse.

For students not yet registered to vote in Coles County, they can go to the Coles County Courthouse, register to vote in the county and subsequently vote there as well.

Proper identification is needed to register with either a driver’s license or state issued identification, and a current piece of mail postmarked by USPS with a copy of your Coles County address or your lease agreement with a Coles County address.

For students needing transportation from campus to the Coles County Courthouse, the Panther Shuttle will be running on Tuesday from the MLK Jr. Union to the courthouse from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

It is recommended by Anne Flaherty, vice president of student affairs, to allow a larger portion of time for voting as large wait times are expected at the Coles County Courthouse.

 

Madelyn Kidd can be reached at 51-2812 or at dennewsdesk@gmail.com.